Grief's Fury
by Knyghtshade
Summary: SEQUEL TO NIGHT SOLACE! OC 06 Solaris has been gone for two years and counting. The five pilots still search for her while balancing motorcross races and Preventer missions. An undercover Preventer agent asks for help giving them hope for the future.
1. Chapter 1

_**Grief's Fury **_

Okay, as voted for, here is the sequel to _Night Solace_.

It is set approximately two years in the future from where _Night Solace_ left off. The boys have all have chosen to stay together and work for the Preventers. For a hobby, they race motorcycles. (Think pod-racing from _Star Wars_, only on motorcycles, and maybe a touch of _Speed Racer_!) This is where we start but is definitely not where we end! Does not have racing all the way through! It is just the very beginning! I hope you all enjoy!

PS. I think I made up the bikes…can't remember. Lol

**Present time**.

Twenty racers waited in a long row across the desert basin, the powerful machines beneath them misleadingly quiescent. The skill and strength required to control these highly calibrated, super motorcycles made these pilots the best across the world. The Elite. Today they would all meet for the first time, at the same time, in the first World Free Race. No carefully maintained tracks awaited these racers; just pure dirt, smooth rock, high canyon walls, and twisted tunnels.

Some racers double and triple-checked the straps and buckles of their leathers, which could make all the difference of survival if they hit the dirt. Most just waited with calm focus for the announcers to shut up and start the race. One or two showed their disgust at the announcers' blathering by flopping forward and taking a doze. (Namely, Duo.) The loud countdown would wake them when it was finally go time. As it was, it would be at least ten more minutes.

"_Welcome to the First World Free Race! Created solely to pit these Elite Racers from all sides of the world in one extreme race, it has four dangerous laps and fewer rules_," the announcer shouted to the cheering audience. "_Sanq's own team, the Top Five, are here and ready to go! They have never lost a race between the lot of them, but today they are going up against all the other fifteen Elite at one time! Can they beat them all? We shall see! From France, we have four racers_…" And on he went.

"_Now in slot one we have_:

_1. The Almighty Dragon!_ (Wufei still blamed Duo for that name.)

_2. Thunder Cloud__ AND—!_

_3. Lightning Strike! __ Watch out for those two; they do not play nice!_

_4. Sand Lion! Small and __deceptive, keep both eyes on him._ (Quatre rolled his eyes.)

_5. Flash Bye! _

_6. Phantom! The first of our mystery girls who never shows us her face. _

_7. Slayer! _

_8. Soulscream! _

_9. Phoenix! Just when you think she is finished, she'll wipe you out! _

_10. Zero Tolerance!_ (Heero wished he could just shoot the announcers already.)

_11. Ace! _

_12. Death's One! _(Duo cackled.)

_13. Beastling! __ This one will bite you hard._ (Trowa leaned over and whacked Duo.)

_14. Numero Uno! __ A favorite of the Germans! _

_15. Tsunami Smash! Nothing can stop this wave! _

_16. S.B.D _

_17. Pride! _

_18. Shad__ow! _

_19. Twinkle! _

_20. Dark Peace! She, like the Phantom, refuses to remove her helmet, breaking the hearts of many! _

"_These Elite pilots are ready to go as the final countdown begins!_"

**Ear****lier Before the Race: **

Wufei futilely wiped his oily hands on the cleanest rag he could find. The rag really wasn't clean at all, but since it was only lightly spotted and brown rather than black with oil and other fluids, it could be called clean. He tossed it into the corner. It wasn't doing any good. He was nearly done with the tune up on his Neo 16, so he would wash up in a moment.

Duo cooed suddenly over his Neo SC100, making him jump. Wufei scowled over at his brother, who was whispering sweet nothings to the machine as he lovingly polished over the scarlet scythe and kanji decal. Rolling his eyes, Wufei turned back to his machine to scrutinize his own gold dragon decal to be sure there were no smudges. With a satisfied smirk, he deemed it ready to roll. All of their bikes carried decals designed by Solaris during the war: Trowa's bike bore the two classical play masks in blue and green, Quatre chose a snarling sand cat in saffron, while Heero had found the doodle of a winged sword in the pages of one of her schoolbooks and claimed it immediately as his.

Walking to the utility sink, Wufei judged that the others were almost done tuning up too. The five of them happily shared a garage. The other teams, while normally friends, likely regarded their teammates with suspicion while trying to sabotage the others' bikes themselves. The purse for first place was five hundred thousand credits. Few were willing to share even that large amount of money.

Personally, Wufei did not care in the slightest about the purse; the thrill came in the race, the adrenaline rush being much cooler without accompanying bullets. He knew that was how his brothers felt too. The five of them together were all they had. They were family back to back, always ready whether it was to take on the world once so willing to destroy them, the bad guys, or win a race. Their life was rarely boring. Especially when you were on the Preventers' payroll.

A wave of grief swept over him, nearly sending him to his knees, but familiarity with the emotion kept him unyielding. There was a gap in their protective circle just about the size of a smallish, fierce girl. The hole had not shrunk any in the two years since Solaris had left—whether to die or hide, they had not been able to find out. Searching high and low, they had relentlessly tracked every whisper and rumor. Even now, computers at home hummed under search programs looking for any hint to give them a lead. The stubborn, beautiful girl vanished into the shadows of the night leaving nothing behind except a single, pathetic note.

Her former so-called family had not been so hidden. Duo found the assassin family, and the five proceeded to tear the despicable people apart. Starting with their name and contacts, the pilots destroyed the Taigas' reputation and then the members of the family began to disappear one by one. There had only been six people they had allowed to live: four small children and two beaten young women willing to die to protect their babies.

Wufei scrubbed soap angrily in his hands, willing the grease and pain to disappear together. Solaris's leaving had torn a never-healing wound into their hearts.

Closing his eyes, Wufei forced his thoughts to stop, taking a deep breath before exhaling the air slowly along with the pointless fury and pain. She was gone and most likely dead by her own hand. Even if she was not, two years had passed. She was not coming back. It was time to get his head back in the game. He had a race to win.

They wheeled their bikes out to the starting line, breaking up to go into their own slots, grinning with excitement. Well, Duo and Quatre were; the others' faces could barely be called smiles, but the emotion was the same. They raced a lot, but not against so many racers of caliber. For once, they would not be racing just each other, but the other racers as well. It presented an actual challenge. Twenty racers lined up with a thrumming, eager energy arching back and forth, amping up the adrenaline pumping into their veins. The First World Free was theirs to race. Theirs to win. It was going to be the greatest battle in all of motorcycle history. That anticipation was dampened only slightly by the announcers babbling on and on. Duo merely flopped forward, lying over his bike and taking a nap. Further on up the line Wufei snorted at his ability to sleep anytime, anywhere. Finally, the announcers began to wind up their speech. Wufei tugged his helmet on, snapping it into place. The machine beneath him purred into life with the push of a button. Similar purrs and growls echoed his up and down the line.

The countdown began.

Focused stillness settled over Wufei like the quiet before a hurricane. It was that clear focus which kept him alive through all the Preventer missions and aided him in winning so many races. During the war he had fought with rage in his heart. Since then it had tamed and cooled into a strong sword. He did not falter anymore; he knew how he stood in the world. A predatory grin grew behind the black helmet.

Three long laps through the treacherous canyon came before they would be shunted off into the tunnels running within the canyon walls. No other track in the world compared to this one. Except for the first mile of tar, everything was off road and natural. Cleared of the more dangerous obstacles, yes, but otherwise left alone beyond the marking of the way. No one had run this track before this race. No practice drives. Not even a walk. Only overlooks from the top of the canyon and a map of the tunnels to study the night before. It was true test of their skills.

_3 _

_2 _

_1 _

__O-`O _

The wheel blocks flattened to the ground. Rubber burned black, smelly streaks on the pavement. Wufei's Neo shot forward at his touch as he jockeyed for position. He was in front. 0-100 mph in ten seconds. If he could hold this place until the canyon he would not have to deal with the cheaters in the bunch. A glance into his mirrors displayed Duo's bike easing up on his right. Good. Someone to watch his back. No race was run cleanly. It was an expected, even anticipated, part of the game. The judges turned a blind eye and the viewers ate it up as part of the drama. The five of them made it their personal game to run the race without the dirty tricks the other Elite pulled and still win all of the first five slots.

Duo entered the canyon ahead of him. Wufei kept a careful eye on Flybye, who hovered mere paces behind. The red canyon walls narrowed abruptly, forcing them into single file. To pass here would be phenomenally stupid, but could offer a position to win. The river-carved trench was a uniquely smooth surface, almost slippery. Cameras whirred, mounted high on the walls, and the helicopter above tracked them.

"SHIT!" The headset in his helmet crackled alive, blistering with Heero's curses. Wufei snickered, zipping through sharp twists and shifting his weight to account for sandy patches. "Twinklestar has me pinned and Beastling is riding my ass." With little room to maneuver to start with, Heero could only fight to keep his bike in one piece.

Suddenly, the curses turned into mutters of grudging admiration. "Daring move. Stupid, but it got her around us."

"What?" Duo asked impatiently.

"Phantom just rode the curve of the wall over us. I think she's in fifth now.

Quatre jumped in, reporting, "Slayer just slammed Tsunami out in self-defense. The guy dumped a string of tacks on the floor. Slayer barely made it past them. The tacks will probably take out some of the others, though. Slowed us down a bit, too," he growled.

"Get any farther behind Q and you are going to lose," Duo crowed.

**QQQQQ **

The canyon widened out to almost half a mile, giving the racers plenty of room to maneuver and get ahead or knock others out of the running. Taking advantage of the open road, Quatre shifted gears and shot past Trowa and Slayer. A very lion-like snarl came through his com link.

Quatre laughed evilly. "Aw, sorry Trowa. Did you want to go first? Well...eat my dust!"

"Duo is a bad influence."

"Yes, yes, I am! A winning one, too!" Duo's maniacal laughter set all their eyebrows twitching.

"Shut up, Duo," Heero snapped.

"Grumpy, grumpy." Laughter echoed from them all, the ease of friendship and the thrill of the race making them almost giddy.

Trowa, not to be left behind for long, sneered at Slayer's back and slid his bike left before swerving immediately to the right. Slayer blocked him, Trowa's front tire so close to Slayer's rear one that the tires' colors blurred together for a split second. Slayer tried to slowly to move back right and Trowa passed him, gone to catch Quatre.

Quatre had not gotten as far ahead as he would have liked when Trowa drew up beside him, Slayer a forgotten speck on the horizon. Three other motorcyclists fought for space ahead of them. Or more like two fought to keep the other trapped. Quatre and Trowa flashed ahead of the struggling three, who were so busy competing for space without totaling all of their bikes they didn't notice.

"Since we are here we might as well lend a hand," Quatre said diplomatically.

"Hn. He would get free sooner or later," Trowa answered.

Quatre sighed. "True, but those two might cost him a placing. They are Elite after all."

"We can't have that I suppose." Trowa's mirrors showed Thunder and Lightening viciously pinning Heero's motorcycle between them. The two's maneuvers showed why they made such a good team. "Everyone's just plain out to get you today, Heero: Twinklestar, Beastling, and now these two."

Quatre and Trowa hit the brakes so they seemed to drop backwards into the midst of the other three, effectively forcing Thunder and Lightning to split away from harassing Heero. Quatre and Trowa settled into a protective shield on either side of Heero. The stormy duo would not be able to try that again on them this race.

During their rescue, a few other Elite had passed them. Quatre had seen Ace, SBD, and the girl Dark Peace for sure. Trowa thought he'd noticed Pride slipping ahead as well.

Now that the challenge to one of their own was gone, the competition between the boys returned in full force. Quatre's bike held an advantage on flat, straight stretches, and he opened the throttle in hopes of gaining enough ground to win a slot above the two behind him, if not the two ahead.

**HDTQW**

The following two laps passed much the same with everyone fighting for position. Duo and Wufei continued to hold the lead while Flyby had fallen behind, only to be replaced with the Phantom girl who had done the curve pass over Heero in the first lap. Wufei was forced to sacrifice his nitrox to stay ahead of Phantom when the canyon narrowed. Twinklestar was taken out of the race when Beastling forced him to turn into a sand pit. Thunder and Lightning never made up the time they had lost picking on Heero.

Quatre, Heero, and Trowa spread out some before the tunnels. Quatre made good on his open road and passed Ace, Pride, and SBD before the canyon renarrowed and the race's win was left to the tunnels. Heero and Trowa fought to get around Ace before it was too late. The other Elite remained behind them, dueling it out with nasty tricks to take out their competition.

**DDDD **

The ominous, black mouth containing the twisting turns of the last lap loomed ahead. Its shadow stretched out to meet Duo. Inky darkness swallowed him, and for a moment, there was nothingness; there could be a wall of rock ahead for all he knew. Then, the lines of light leading deep into the tunnels appeared, allowing him to choose his tunnel.

He knew exactly what his first turns were going to be, even with little more than neon-green streaks of light and memories of a map to guide him. Duo grinned with the thrill of it. He had succeeded with much less in the past.

Acidic yellow arrows pointed out the tunnels' branches. It was here the race could be won or lost no matter the racer's current pacing. Choose a long tunnel and it might prove too long. A short one could be treacherous with sharp twists and narrow passage. Even worse, the long ones that held them all.

Duo did not even slow from 70 mph before blasting into the opening to the farthest left. A flash of headlights on his back told him Wufei was not far behind, but not following his path.

**WWW**

Wufei hissed through his teeth as his knee brushed the floor on a tight turn. The heat from the friction burned though his leathers, but he straightened out before his knee smeared onto stone. As long as he took his turns well he knew he could win this. He had seen Duo's choice of tunnel, and it was longer.

Wufei entered an almost ninety-degree turn way, way to fast. In desperation, Wufei brought up his foot and shoved off the wall. Pain screamed up his foot. The bike wobbled and swerved dangerously. He fought for control, jerking his body the other way to pull his weight up and rebalance. Blood pounded through his ears. That was close. _Very_ close.

The rest of the tunnel flew by with ease after that, although Wufei could feel that he'd be limping away from the track. It grew lighter after a turn, and it was the last stretch. He blasted out into the daylight and the final paved stretch. The grandstands marked the finish line.

A blur in the corner of his eye warned him of a competitor for first place. He spared a glance. It was a girl dressed all in white. He had expected it to be Duo or even one of the others. Instead, he thought it was Dark Peace, one of the strange girls whom never showed her face.

She leaned over her bike as though she could be one with it. The engine purred with power matching equal to his engines. Still, he had a small head start and he would keep it.

Duo whooped in his ear, "In the light first, guys!" 

"I'm way ahead of you, Duo, but so is some girl."

"NANI!" Duo wailed.

Wufei tuned him out. The girl was catching him. The gears of his bike shifted up at his command and he pulled away shortly.

500 yards.

He shifted into the highest gear, and the engine roared its eager reply. The girl still rode right on his tail, matching him for speed.

300 yards.

She would never quite catch him.

100 yards.

The pitch of the engine behind him took on a new pitch. A white blur shot passed him.

FINISH

Nitrox. There was only one unit of nitrox per bike. The girl had still had it in her tank. She had made the whole race without it until now, to beat him. The girl had beaten them all. No one had ever beaten one of the five before, and this girl beat them all.

Still, he supposed, second wasn't too bad when you got to race the best of the best.

Duo stopped beside him, only seconds behind. "Wow, we just got schooled."

**HDTQW**

The Elite not currently hospitalized lined up across the pavement in front of the grandstands. The five boys accepted their 2nd-6th place medals and then watched the girl gracefully accept the first trophy not going home to gather dust in their display case.

"We present you the survivors of the First World Free. The Grand Prize winner, Dark Peace! Will you now show the world your face?" the announcer questioned.

Dark Peace shook her head.

"Ah, well, we shall continue to pine away at the mystery of your beauty." The announcer faked a sniffle and tear.

The after party took place at the hotel overlooking the canyon. Quatre vanished into the crowd in search of water rather than drink the champagne being offered by the waiters. Wufei noticed that few of the Elite took the time to change before joining the party, leaving Dark Peach in her helmet for obscurity.

"It was a great to race against you today." The girl's voice gave no clues as to her identity either.

"You as well. You raced honorably," Wufei replied.

"Thank you. I have followed your team's races since you started. You boys certainly don't know how to lose."

"More like everyone else doesn't know how to win," Duo jumped into the conversation.

She laughed. "Perhaps. I should go now. I look forward to meeting you again."

"Hey, can you at least tell us why you don't show your face? OW!" Duo clutched his head where Heero whacked him. "I was just asking."

Dark Peace laughed again. "I am not ready for the world to know who I am. Some things need to change first. Later, boys."

Quatre returned in time to see them staring blankly into the crowd. "What did I miss?" 

**One month and 6 days later:**

Commander Un led five of her top agents through the restaurant toward the reserved private rooms. She stopped them just outside an ornately carved door.

"I want your word upon your honor and the peace we fight for that you will not attack the undercover agent inside and you will listen. You will save any personal confrontation for later. Right now, she is here for the mission. You will do nothing to compromise her cover. I will tell you right now you will not like it, but you will keep yourselves under control."

"Yes, sir!" they said in sync, all wondering who could be so bad they would be willing to compromise a mission to kill.

Commander Un gave them a hard look and let them into the room before closing the door behind her. She stayed by the door, giving them their space. She wasn't stupid enough to get between them, their guns, and her undercover agent. There was no telling how they were going to react.

**TBC**

YAY! I've made it through the race! I had such a freakin hard time writing that out. I really think the rest of it should come easy now. I am really, really sorry for the wait. Hope you like!


	2. Chapter 2

**In case any of you are new to the story, none of the Gundam pilots is related to one another. They just think of each other as family.**

**Last time: **

Commander Un led five of her top agents through the restaurant toward the reserved private rooms. She stopped them just outside an ornately carved door.

"I want your word upon your honor and the peace we fight for that you will not attack the undercover agent inside and you will listen. You will save any personal confrontation for later. Right now, she is here for the mission. You will do nothing to compromise her cover. I will tell you right now you will not like it, but you will keep yourselves under control."

"Yes, sir!" they said in sync, all wondering who could be so bad they would be willing to compromise a mission to kill.

Commander Un gave them a hard look and let them into the room before closing the door behind her. She stayed by the door, giving them their space. She wasn't stupid enough to get between them, their guns, and her undercover agent. There was no telling how they were going to react.

Not that she was scared of them. Here, she could stop the boys if they tried to leave without hearing her agent out. After all, it was her own fault that it had come to this in the first place; forcing the boys to stay put was the very least she could do to begin making up for it.

**Now HDTQW: **

The elegant dining room was not large, providing little apparent space for anyone to hide; however, the dim lighting created deep shadows. Centered in the room sat a long dining table with a single high stack of papers tucked into five folders. The boys ignored this and spread out around the table, canvassing the shadows for the mysterious agent.

"Sit down," Commander Un ordered from the doorway. "You are not here on a capture mission."

Heero sat first at the head of the table, the others following shortly at their chosen places, all spread apart. It would be hard for anyone to take them all out at once this way unless he planned to take out the entire room.

A slender form shifted out of the concealing shadows in the far end of the room. Long, feathered bangs fell down, hiding her face until she looked up, revealing amber eyes. The girl smiled weakly. Fear and uncertainty were screaming from every taut muscle of her body.

"Hey, guys."

"Solaris!" Duo and Quatre burst out. Duo leapt up and slid over the table before the others could speak.

"How dare you come back like this!" Wufei slammed a fist on the table, jarring the high stack of papers upon it so they fell into a messy heap, spilling across the table and to the floor. Duo froze in place, glancing back at his brother's fury.

"I did what I had to do. I am sorry I hurt you."

"Hurt us? You left in the middle of the night leaving nothing more then a pathetic note behind."

Pain flashed across Solaris's face before a mask of indifference covered it. "I know."

"You could have at least told us you were alive," Quatre admonished.

"No. Where I went was a secret even to me when I left; it had to stay secret when I knew. If you'd had any contact you would have found me, and that wasn't allowed. I had no choice," she said firmly.

"There is always a choice," Trowa finally spoke up.

"Then I made mine. It was what I had to do even if it hurt you. It was better that way."

Solaris grimaced. "Look, obviously we are not going to be able to agree and fix this right now. I do not have time to tell all of it to you and listen to you yell. I am still on an undercover mission and I cannot be missing for long. I need help to finish this and you are the only ones good enough. That is why I am here now." She pulled out the chair at the opposite end from Heero and sat down stiffly.

"Those are the files," she said, gesturing to the fallen stack on the table. "Please," Solaris begged. "This isn't about me right now. When this is over you can yell all you want, but this meeting is about the mission."

"So the mission comes first?" Duo asked softly, still standing only paces away from his sister. He unhappily fiddled with the end of his braid.

Solaris nodded sharply, her amber eyes devoid of emotion. "Hasn't it always?"

"Of course." Duo backed away and went to sit between Quatre and Heero.

"I am currently Akira Kosuke. I hold the rank of Kane Cordelone's Fourth Hand."

"Nani? How! No one has ever even attempted to infiltrate that gang without dying within a month," Heero snapped.

"I know. Except me." No smugness laced her voice, just solemn surety.

"How?" Trowa asked.

"I am not listed or associated with the Preventers in any way. I've been missing for two years. Solaris Taiga is presumed dead. Akira Kosuke came from the streets of Tokyo. She has a whole history there. _I_ have a whole history there, though it is not as long as Cordelone believes. Before Doctor K recruited me, I spent a lot of time as Akira. It was a way to get in places the Family needed me to. I resurrected her to get in. I have fought my way up the ranks to get in a position of power where I am trusted with lots of information. I have enough now to put Cordelone away for several lifetimes, but first we have to catch him."

"How long have you been under?" Trowa asked. He knew much about undercover missions. He had carried out several during the war. He refused to take any from the Preventers.

"One year, three months, nine days." Trowa guessed she could likely tell them the exact hours if not minutes too, were she asked.

Solaris's hands lay lightly folded on the table; the only sign of tension was her small claws curving out from under her nails. Claws her family had grafted in when she was nothing but a child. Claws she normally bore tipped with a poison of her own making, poison capable of killing a large man in minutes.

"So it was almost nine months after you left us?" Quatre asked. He kept rubbing at his chest, a motion they all recognized as his space heart allowing him to feel their anger and pain.

"Yes," Solaris nodded, going back to the mission. "Cordelone is planning the largest child auction since the negro slave trade of the Old World. It is due to take place in a week and a half. As I am his Fourth Hand, I have had a great deal of freedom in the planning. In the files are the blueprints for the entire block around the old theater. He is selling 134 children. There are more, but once Cordelone is arrested they can be found and rescued.

"I told Cordelone that a friend of mine from Tokyo is planning to be in town for a few days before the auction. I also have a set of invitations for a team to enter the theater as guests. There will be many corrupt people in high places attending. A few more will not be noticed."

Solaris took a deep breath and sighed it back out. "I need you guys for this. No one else can plan and execute this without screwing it all up. If Cordelone catches wind of a takedown, he will vanish. If he vanishes, he will know someone close screwed him. I will lose my standing at the very least, and then we will lose everything I have gotten on him. Cordelone would just start over again. He has the means and people."

"Why is everything here paper? There aren't any computer files?" Heero questioned while flipping through a retrieved folder.

"They have my computer tapped. Someone watches everything I do on it. I compiled everything by hand." She pulled a data-stick from the pocket of her leather jacket and tossed it down the table. "This is what I have hacked directly from the main computers. Commander Un has more. The information on it does not relate to this auction. It is mostly routes, blackmail, personnel files, things like that. It tells enough to put Cordelone, plus many other people, away. We have to do it right, though. Some of his bank accounts are on one of the others. I haven't been able to get to his personal computer again to get more."

Commander Un spoke from her position at the door. "Solaris, it is five o'clock."

"Already?" Sadness flashed over Solaris's face. "All right. I have to go. I have been up since eleven last night, and I have to get some sleep and join Cordelone for tonight's meeting. I cannot risk being off my game. Not after all of this."

She stood and smiled wanly. "Please, I know you are all mad at me. Just help me with this and I will do whatever you want after."

Duo saw fearful, tired tears glimmer in her eyes until she seemed to shake herself and change into a proud, beautiful woman. She stepped around the table with a sultry grace, heading toward the door. Commander Un opened it and held it for her as Solaris walked calmly out.

"Solaris!" Duo shoved away from the table and ran after her. Wufei, however, caught her first. She could not have seen it coming. He jerked her around and slapped her. Solaris's head snapped to the side from the furious blow. The cracking sound seemed to echo in the hall. Duo stared in shock as she touched a trembling hand to her red cheek.

"That's for leaving us like that," Wufei snarled.

Solaris hand dropped as though puppet strings had been cut and her amber eyes dulled to a dead black. "So be it."

Then she was gone, running down the hall as though hell was on her heels. Quatre bent forward, clutching his chest and sobbing from the pain.

"Shit!" Duo cussed. He ran after Solaris, making sure to shove Wufei into the wall on his way. Heero and Trowa were right behind him.

"Solaris, no! Come back!" Duo shouted, hoping she would hear him. He burst out of the front doors, heedless of the frightened stares of the diners.

An engine revved in the alley. Spinning around wildly, he was in time to watch a dark silver bike scream out of the alley.

"No, come back," Duo whimpered. He had lost his sister again. Fury swelled and swallowed his sorrow. "That bastard!"

Heero placed a hand on his shoulder. "She's alive, Duo. We'll get her back."

"She thinks we hate her now," Duo whispered.

"We will prove her wrong," Trowa stated with confidence.

Duo grinned. "Right! But first, I'm going to go kill a certain cold bastard."

Heero started back inside. "Not if I get there first." The three ran back, full of intent to harm their wayward brother, only to find him sprawled on the floor with a bruise blooming over his chin. He was crying silently. Quatre stood over him, fists clenched and tears trickling down his cheeks and nose. Before they could all start bawling in the hall like two year olds, Commander Un fixed them with a vicious glare.

"You are all idiots. Get up," she ordered Wufei with a disgusted look. After a moment, Wufei pushed himself off the floor. "Now go sit down. I have a few things to tell you."

She claimed the chair at the head of the table and waited while they chose their seats. Duo plopped down heavily between Heero and Quatre. Trowa sat across from them, several chairs away from Wufei.

"Boys." That one word was laden with weary sorrow. "How could you?" Disappointment line Commander Un's face as she sat primly, her hands folded on the table. "Maybe it's my fault. I should have told you more before I brought you here. There are things I don't think she wants you to know yet; however, I think you need to know what I know. Maybe next time you see her you won't slap her for daring to come back." Wufei opened his mouth to protest, then shut it again, realizing he could not.

"Did any was you even notice that she was walking?" The question startled them.

"Nani?"

Duo started laughing through his tears. "She was, wasn't she? Without crutches or anything." The words, though joyful, trembled with sorrow. He laughed again until he hiccupped.

"How?" Heero asked.

"One year, three months and twelve days ago I opened my office to find a fierce girl asking me to let her join the Preventers so she could work with her brothers. I sent her through a battery of tests—your tests. She excelled in them all, even beating some of your records. I signed her into the Preventers and immediately offered her a mission to save hundreds of children's lives. When she faltered at the option, I used every guilt-trip I could think of, including you. I left her no option in the end."

"You sent her undercover when she was trying to come home!" Quatre yelled. "You gave her a mission that she couldn't refuse. None of us could have refused this. But it didn't have to be her, not before she had come home, at least."

"Yes, it did," Commander Un said firmly. "She is one of a very select few with the capabilities, as well as the only with the background, to pull it off." 

"She could have seen us first!" Duo yelled.

"I needed you to still be searching for her, grieving for her. It was part of her cover. There was no way you could have hid it forever if you knew she lived in the very same city as you—any possible hint that she is not Akira Kosuke will get her killed. Unknowingly, you all were playing part of her cover, and it had to be that way. There is no way of faking the devotion and sorrow you have put into finding her."

Commander Un sighed. "I talked with Solaris a lot in the few days before she went under. When I asked her how she could be walking, she told me that an old friend from the past had contacted her in the hospital and offered a possible cure to her paralysis, the catch being that no one else could know. The technology was too precious; it could easily be corrupted in the wrong hands. In addition, it was risky, life-threateningly risky. Between the actual procedure and the medications, all of which were experimental, death was very possible." She paused briefly. "This man removed some type of neurological technology she already had and used it to repair her spinal column."

The five exchanged shocked, knowing looks. Solaris had Control _removed_. How was that possible? Her moods would swing from high to low without the aid of the machine…wouldn't they?

"She said the removal of the tech put her in a coma for three weeks while her body struggled to cope," Commander Un went on. "After that, all she would say is that she pushed herself to the absolute limit in order to walk, run, and fight again. I had the impression that there was a lot of pain involved, but she refused to tell me more. Not that I blamed her. It had only been a few days, and I ruthlessly pushed her into a mission she didn't want. She didn't trust me enough to tell me."

With a proud, bittersweet smile, Commander Un continued as they sat listening in horrified admiration for their sister's strength. "Solaris made it to her place as Fourth in just barely five months. I am still not sure how. She has slipped us information we could use without blowing her cover, and we have pulled 154 children from Cordelone's grasp. Many have been returned to their families while the others are being given to families. Do you remember the raid on the house at Tenth Street across from the old cathedral? We knew about that because of Solaris. Same for the 20th Street raid and the three raids on the piers. She has many more locations waiting to be cleared after this mission. If we go after them all now, Cordelone will wipe out his top hands and start anew."

Standing up suddenly, Commander Un gave them one last look. "Solaris may not have been directly beside you all this time, but she has been doing everything she can. She has sacrificed her own happiness and safety for the children's, same as you would have, given the choice. She has fought to get well so she could run beside you and stand at your backs to protect you. Next time you see Solaris, give her a hug. It would be a lot better than slapping her again.

"Plus, I think she could really use one."

**TBC**

YAY, another chapter already! ^0^ Bet you weren't expecting that!


	3. Chapter 3

Hello again my faithful readers! And finally some reviews! I don't know if my computer was crapping out or if you all just took a while, but I finally got some! YAY!

Happy to know you all like it!

Brief side note… half of the waiting was my betas fault! LOL We are both getting slammed at work and I'm not her only author. I am working on the next one now, but I make no promises! I have a nearly forty-hour week, GED tests to study for and take, plus an interview for a new position at work.

**The boys! HDTQW**

Hours after the incident in the restaurant and the painful reunion with their sister, the five Gundam pilots gathered in their living room to memorize the files she had left them. Even though it was nearly four in the morning, they refused to quit. Solaris had asked for their help and she would get it.

"Solaris writes here that she has left an invitation to the auction open to bring in a three-person team as a buyer," Quatre said. "And she also says she has prepped the way for a 'friend' of hers to possibly arrive a couple of days before the auction."

"I will go as the friend," Heero stated firmly before Duo's mouth finished opening. "Duo, you are the best to get an infiltration team into the building unnoticed during the auction."

Duo twisted his lips in a pout. "Fine."

Wufei pulled his reading glasses off and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Perhaps it would be best if I stayed behind for this mission."

"What!" Duo snapped angrily. "How can you cop out on this? I didn't think you hated her so much. Yeah, she screwed up, but she was trying to protect us in her own way."

"No. It's not that," Wufei said softly. "I just don't see how she would trust me to help her now—I hit her, if you don't remember. She thinks I hate her. Why would she want my help? Why would she trust me to guard her back?"

"Because this is a mission, and she knows you won't fail her during that. After it is done, you can fall to your knees pleading for her grace," Trowa said, glaring at his morose, idiotic brother.

Wufei nodded sharply. "Then that is what I shall do."

None of them spoke for nearly an hour after that while they continued to study Solaris's mission reports. Quatre finally yawned and stretched. "I think Trowa should go in as the buyer," he said. "I want to stay outside and guide the teams in. Duo and Wufei, you would both just get furious and explode before we have time to move in. Trowa can hold his temper better. What these people are doing is despicable; I know even I would be able to sit in that theater watching children be presented and sold like livestock and not stand up and start shooting. You would chuck grenades into the crowd for them daring to be there."

He slumped wearily over the table. "Wufei, you get to be the first to kick in the doors and lead in the SWAT teams for the arrest."

"Acceptable." Wufei could not deny Quatre's logic. Even for such an important mission, Wufei was not sure his nerves would not snap watching people sink to buying children. In order to capture Cordelone, the timing had to be perfect to get proof and prevent his escape.

With their personal roles agreed upon, the five Preventers turned their attention to building their support teams. Solaris was counting on them to do this right and stop this gang in its track. She needed the best they had. Their sister would get it. When it was finished and Solaris returned, they would never let her go.

**SSSSSS **

Three horrible, agonizing days had passed since Solaris had basked in the presence of her family. Even though it had ended painfully, the meeting had been the sweetest event to happen in two years, including walking again. It left her yearning for more. To be with people she actually trusted and loved, it was worth all the treasure and prestige in the world.

If only they would let her come back. A bruise ached where Wufei's open palm had connected. In a strange way, the slap weighed heavier than a punch. He had slapped her as he would a weak onna. It hurt deep inside her soul.

For the night's event, Solaris dressed in shades of grey and white. A long, sleeveless jacket swished around fitted slacks. Stilettos finished the outfit. She hated it. It was not hers; all of these things were Akira's. Akira was a cold, vain bitch. Everything around her reflected that. The single thing that she allowed Solaris was her motorcycle. It represented her freedom. Akira only appreciated the machine for the power it contained.

Rock music reverberated through the dance floor. Tonight was the night. Here one of them would meet her…if he was going to. Hope and fear warred and danced together in her stomach.

"Here is your drink, Lady Akira." A leather-clad server held out a small silver try to her. Solaris accepted her pomegranate vodka and sashayed up the black-stone stairs to the VIP lounge. The clubbers crowding the walkway shifted out of the way whether they recognized her or not. Power exuded from her slender form. She was untouchable.

Looking at her cell phone, Solaris saw that it was 1:28. The poker game (really a reason to hold a meeting for the city's crime lords) would start at two. It was all about a display of power, the money in the pot, a flexing of muscles. The egotistical bosses did this every other Thursday.

Inwardly, Solaris sighed. While living as Akira she had been forced to become a night owl. The days of waking up with the dawn were past. Now she only occasionally saw it from the wrong side of sleep.

A server pulled out a chair second from Kane's right hand as she approached.

"Good evening, sir."

"Ah, my beautiful Akira. Stunning as always."

"Thank you, sir." Solaris set her glass on the edge of the poker table. Before she settled into her chair, another server appeared at her elbow.

"Lady Akira, there is a young man downstairs. He says that you were expecting him and that his name is Tylander Diasuke."

Relief exploded in her heart. He was here. Which 'he' remained to be seen, but one of her brothers had come. She wasn't alone anymore.

Solaris practically floated out of her seat, just barely remembering to pause in deference to her boss. Kane laughed good-naturedly. "Go on, love. I am anxious to meet a man you would so happily go greet when you refuse to allow any of us a single caress."

Solaris stopped the scantily clad server before the woman slipped back to her duties. "Where downstairs?" she demanded imperiously.

"He said he would wait by the bar, Lady Akira."

Again, the clubbers parted to let her pass unhindered by the press of their dancing bodies. That was good. Solaris did not feel patient; she wanted to see her brother. _Now_. She was not above using her sharp heels and elbows to get her path.

In the middle of the long bar, a head of messy brown hair faced away from her toward the dance floor. "Tylander!" she called out loud enough to be heard and recognized over the beating music.

Heero turned around, a tumbler of amber brandy in hand. "Akira!"

"You made it after all. I was hoping you would. It has been so long." Playing the part merged suddenly with what she really wanted to say. "I am so sorry I let so much time slip away."

Heero smiled. "I am glad to see you again. Doing very well for yourself, too."

Solaris glanced around at the ritzy club with its flashing lights, expensive drinks, and dancing, writhing people. "It is livable. Come, everyone else is upstairs. I trust you remember how to play poker?"

"Of course." Heero tip-saluted with his tumbler.

"Then you can share my stakes for the night. The bosses like to let us little people play in the first game to keep things interesting; after that, they start in on the high stake rounds." Daringly, Solaris took Heero's hand and tugged him back along through the room she had traversed twice already. Such contact was a screaming sign of trust in a few ways: for Heero to let her do this meant she still counted as a friend; for her, it was well-known among Cordelone's ranks that she refused to be touched. Anyone pushing the matter found him or herself aching in places they did not know they could. After this, the rest of the gang would look on in jealously of Heero rather than suspicion.

She had used her untouchablity to climb Kane Cordelone's ranks. The crime boss had thought at first she just wanted to have an easy life as a painted doll hanging off his arm and sleeping in his bed. That notion became quickly dismissed when Solaris refused to merely sit and look pretty, and the one time he did try to touch her, she nearly cut his throat out. In one smooth, unplanned movement, she had secured her rise through the ranks.

Now, with Heero's help, she would bring it all tumbling down.

"Sir, may I introduce my good friend, Tylander Daisuke." Solaris didn't release Heero's hand, using it instead to guide him to stand beside her.

"Ah, so you are the wonderful Mr. Daisuke. I have heard much about you. It is a pleasure to meet someone so close to our prickly Akira."

"Mr. Cordelone, the pleasure is mine," Heero said, bowing his head in a show of deference.

"Please, sit down! We were just about to start the first game. Do you play poker?" Kane sharply gestured a lackey out of the seat beside Solaris's.

Heero waited until Solaris sat down to sit next to her. "I have played a few times."

"Ah, I see perhaps you will win a few rounds, then. Akira has been known to play very cruelly, though, so watch yourself." Kane laughed and then appeared to tune them out, going back to his bigger interest of showing up the other crime lords.

Solaris hid her smirk of amusement behind her drink. She knew the game would not even come close to the competiveness of the games the six of them had played together while hiding in the safe houses. Cheating, tempers, and bullets had left many scars behind when they played any game.

Heero tilted his hand in a silent question of their opponents' skills. Solaris subtly sagged in boredom and wiggled her fingers to indicate a so-so bunch of players.

Throughout the entire game, the two pilots communicated an entire conversation beneath the one spoken aloud. Most of it were jokes told on the other players and their poker faces or bad plays. Duo had been the first to create the code. It was a mix of military body signals and Morse code; he had learned a version of it on the streets of L2 and taught them his version of it one night. The code proved incredibly useful and was just plain fun.

After the first game, the crime lords continued to play while their minions drank and danced the night away. It was nearly six in the morning before they broke up and left the club.

"Tylander, have you found a place to stay? I have an extra bed at my place if you like." Solaris asked cautiously, knowing he may very well not wish to spend any time with her outside of the mission.

"I arrived in town only a couple of hours before I found your club and spent most of them elbowing my way through the luggage line. I would love to stay at your place. We haven't seen one another in forever. It will be nice to talk."

"Yes, it will." Solaris smiled softly as they stepped out into the cool morning. The club's parking lot was filled with expensive vehicles of all shapes and sizes. Corrupt people made way too much money.

She gestured to the side at a silver, violet-trimmed bike. "This is my ride."

"I rented one. It's down over there." Heero pointed toward a blue and white motorcycle about ten lanes over.

"Okay. Meet me by the gate and I will lead you to my place."

"Roger that."

Laughter bubbled out of Solaris at the familiar phrase. Loneliness didn't eat at her so fiercely now.

**TBC**

WHEEE another chapter done! So you like? Don't like? At least I am sorta keeping up for now! ;P


	4. Chapter 4

Hey, peeps!

So my Beta though it would be awesome to get this for Christmas so here it is! Sorry for the delays I have gotten a full time position at my job and I'm getting thrown into far more morning shifts than appreciated, so it is taking some time to adjust.

Merry Christmas!

**HHHHH**

Heero quickly found his rented motorcycle (inwardly mourning the missing presence of the upgraded one left behind at home) and hurried to meet Solaris at the gate. The night-covered streets were almost eerily still beyond the range of the club. Even in this huge city, few prowled the darkness outside of the nightclubs and bars. A stray dog loped across the littered pavement ahead of them, a type of husky, perhaps.

Solaris guided him leisurely through the city. Heero revved the bike's engine, hoping to stir his sister into a slightly faster pace. She was killing him here. Solaris threw a smirk over her shoulder. She knew it too.

"Can you keep up?"

Despite the distance and the rushing of the wind in his ears, he caught the words; his ability to read lips added in any missed syllables. "Always!" he yelled back.

Solaris's laugh needed no lip reading. Only the slightest shift in the engine's purr allowed him to keep up with her abrupt takeoff. Heero muttered a curse under his breath, knowing the grin threatening to appear on his face told the truth. He was happy to see her again.

Her apartment building towered over the street and most of the surrounding buildings. They took all twenty flights of stairs to her floor with ease. Pride filled Heero at seeing this.

She had fought hard to move like so. He had watched lesser people fall under much smaller injuries, and yet, here she was, moving with the same smooth grace as before.

Only his extensive training allowed him to catch the extra bump in the fabric covering her back. It was the wrong shape for a gun. Likely it was the extra mechanics allowing her to walk, similar to those fused into her neck.

"Here is my apartment." Solaris stopped before the only door with three solid locks. Unlocking two of them, she opened the door and stepped inside.

"You only unlocked two?" Heero asked, puzzled.

She laughed. "A trick from Duo. Most people breaking into a place try unlocking it first either with picks or stolen keys, but if you leave one unlocked, then they lock it, instead slowing them down."

"Lights on," she commanded to the room in general.

To Heero's surprise, the lights did in fact flicker to life. "Cool."

"Isn't it? I'm going to find a way to install it at home when I get out of this place."

Heero tucked that information to the side for the moment and dropped his duffle bag on the floor in deference to exploring and memorizing the layout of the apartment.

"All of the vents in the ceiling are three by three. You get what you pay for here, and that includes top of the line heating and cooling. The one in the bathroom has a package straight up on the left. The one in my room leads either to the bathroom, if you go to the right, or to the service elevator shaft, going left." Solaris hitched a hip up to perch on top of the couch in the middle of the living room. "All three of the rock gardens have a pistol in them. In the bathroom, the cleaning bucket under the sink has one, too. There is a shotgun in between the fridge and counter, and a rifle in the top cupboard behind the cereal. Oh, and there's an AK-61 under the couch, too."

Heero nodded, accepting the information for what it was: a deep sign of unbroken trust. When you came from the type of background they did, you didn't tell just anyone where one could find things to kill you in your sleep. But he was not just anyone, and the remembrance started filling in a hole in his heart.

"I'm sure even the great Tylander is tired after tonight. You can sleep here." She indicated the pullout couch already unfolded and blanketed. A tribal dragon sprawled in red over the gray fabric of the comforter.

"Thank you."

"I could say the same," Solaris said, turning away quickly and wiping at her face. Heero wondered if she was actually crying.

"I'm going to have some tea and a sandwich before I crash. Do you want some?"

"Sure." Heero trailed after her into the kitchen, happy with the idea of balancing out the alcohol in his system with some real food.

Solaris grabbed the teapot off the stove and filled it with water. "The fridge is fairly full at the moment. Grab anything you like. What's mine is yours," she said, her voice suspiciously tight.

Heero stood, unsure for a long moment, and then grabbed her by the shoulders, turning her around to see the unshed tears shining in her eyes. Pulling her into a hug, he ignored all of her twitchy attack reflexes and gave all the love and comfort he had to offer. Slowly, Solaris relaxed into his brotherly embrace and returned the hug.

"Thank you," she whispered after a while. "Thank you for coming, for still being here."

"Always," Heero swore.

She stepped back, smiling softly. "Grab something from the fridge while I get the tea on."

The next afternoon found Heero awake before Solaris, once a rare occurrence. He was sitting on a barstool in the kitchen when she appeared, yawning. He gave her an incredulous look.

"Nani?" she whined. "I have not gone to bed until at least four in the morning for over a year. I learned to sleep in."

"Hn."

"Oh, don't start that! I have a perfectly good reason. Get over it." Solaris grabbed her teacup from the drainer and filled it with Heero's freshly brewed tea. After she finished her first cup of tea, she felt much more alive and willing to put up with Heero's strange sense of humor.

"Heero, what did you bring for clothes? You can't wear what you did last night again."

"I have four shirts and two pants that Duo sent me with." Heero passed her a plate of toast and a yogurt.

"Thanks. Bring them in here, and we'll see if they work. I'm sure Duo chose pretty well, but it might not be enough." Heero retrieved his duffle and held up the shirts. A white button-up was first.

"Not bad if we pair it with some leather pants or black jeans. One of Quatre's?"

"Yes. I have a pair of jeans," Heero replied, folding the dress shirt back up and setting it on the counter.

After swallowing a spoonful of cherry yogurt, Solaris demanded, "Show me."

Heero dug through the bag, emerging with a dark grey pair of jeans and a pair of ripped blue jeans.

"Hmm…those might work. Next."

The next two shirts were rejected as not being expensive enough. Heero sighed and held up the last one, a dark green made from one hundred percent silk.

"Ooh, I like that one. All right, we are going shopping today. We have three more days until the auction, and we can't have you look like a ragamuffin. Kane will sniff you out faster than a dog." She snickered suddenly. "I am afraid I made Tylander out to be a bit of a clothes horse, mainly because I was thinking about Quatre at the time—with a touch of Duo when he's got money to spend, too. Remember that time he jacked fifty grand from Oz and went shopping alone?"

"Don't we all? He will never live down the heap of stuff we found in the living room after we got home from our mission." Heero sat down after stuffing his clothes back into the duffle and setting it on the floor.

"I think we all did our share of stealing from Oz, though. I know I still have at least five separate accounts filled with funds I hacked," Solaris said.

"Us, too."

She brushed back a straying lock of hair from the loose braid she'd slept with. "I can't wait until I'm free to do something worthwhile with it. Something that fits me. I'd always planned to give one or two of the accounts to rebuilding after the wars and one to the people who help young mothers keep their children."

Solaris waved her hand at the room. "Everything here is actually paid for by Kane. It's one of his chains for his dogs. Put them in a high upkeep place they can't possibly afford without him and threaten it if they step out of line. Without his paycheck most of them would be on the street within a week." She looked down moodily and drew designs in the toast crumbles on the plate. "Most of them deserve it, but a few, just a few, don't; they got yanked in and can't get back out without dying or leaving someone behind to suffer."

"We'll get him, and they will be free to rebuild their lives if they don't end up in a cell," Heero said firmly. "No more will be caught by him."

Solaris dragged Heero around to the more exclusive shops on Main Street to shop in, buying at least six sets of clothes, never minding that he would only need to wear them for four more days. It was likely they would attend a few functions or parties, and he would need to change for each. Cordelone was, after all, a gangster of high society.

Heero followed along meekly. He had been warned about this kind of thing: from Quatre, who had too many sisters, and Trowa, who had Cathy. It was best just to do as told and hope it ended soon. Fortunately, Relena was much too busy keeping the peace to demand a shopping trip on the few occasions he actually saw her. All he needed to worry about was Solaris, and after this he would do his very best to divert her to Duo, or better yet, Wufei. Duo would enjoy it too much.

Solaris had most of the clothes delivered to her apartments, but kept one outfit to make Heero wear for the evening. She also bought a new copper-colored top to go with her black slacks. The singular problem with riding a motorcycle everywhere was dressing in clothes that wouldn't be ruined by the drive.

Solaris introduced Heero to a small, lovely diner she had found when wanting to escape her role and was wandering the city one day. The wonderful menu varied greatly according to the freshest food of the day, and the food was incredible. A hidden jewel in the midst of the city, Solaris guarded it jealously from anyone in Kane's employ, refusing to see it marred by their presence.

As they ate, Solaris told Heero that Kane was hosting a web meeting with other business associates across the country and a few on the other side of the world. She always memorized the names of these people. Anyone associating with Kane in business matters was to be investigated thoroughly later.

Hopefully, Heero would be allowed to sit in so he could visually gather intelligence on Kane. Only so much information could fit understandably into reports. The more time Heero spent with Kane, the more time he would have to get a solid feel of how the crime lord acted in most situations. If anything went wrong, Heero could predict how he would move.

**HHHH**

The ease with which Solaris got him let into the meeting did not surprise Heero. Her family and experience trained her well. How incredibly boring a business meeting of crime lords could be did, though. At least the night before they had played poker.

Heero resisted the urge to copy a habit of Duo's and put his feet on the table and pretend to take a nap until something interesting happened. Solaris hid her own boredom well. All he read off her body language was strict attention. The slight undertones of her expressions, however, told the story of her pure distaste for the people surrounding her. Only someone who knew her as well as he did would pick up on it and know it.

The very nature of her current icy persona was designed to portray her feelings in a different light should anyone actually see it. Akira didn't like anyone. She only tolerated those she must to maintain her high position; the rest were flecks of dirt under her shoes. Kindly feelings didn't exist for her.

Eventually, the meeting turned internal after the web meeting was signed off. "Sir, I have another three interested buyers' profiles here. They are clear of suspicious connections. Two just want trainable slaves, the other wishes for a young girl as a gift for his wife. She is unable to have children." Solaris keyed several files to Kane's computer screen.

Heero remained still in his seat as he recognized Trowa's invitation into the auction. To him, this required no more interest then anything else in the last two hours.

"Ah, thank you, my dearest." Kane read the summaries quickly and nodded his acceptance. "They will be fine. Issue their invitations." 

Heero tapped a question on Solaris's leg hidden under the table. *_Dearest?_*

Her reply was a few minutes incoming as she sent the final invitation out and Kane's attentions were drawn by his other Hands. *_I refused to sleep with him. Threatened his balls. Stabbed him when he tried again. Now he calls me that, like I'm his untouchable wife. No one else dares try me now. He shot the last one who did._* Her fingers were cool and steady as they signed against his wrist. *_He offers again every so often but keeps his hands to himself. He likes that I don't give in. It helped me get here._*

Heero hoped Wufei didn't hear about this part until Kane was tucked away in a cell. The man might not have figured it out yet, and Solaris seemed oblivious, but Wufei was head over heels for her. Even though it had been two years, he suspected Solaris felt the same for their hot-tempered teammate.

Actually, while he thought about all her implications, Heero decided it might be best if he himself didn't have a shot at Kane either. Solaris was a sister to him, and having this guy trying to get in her bed pissed him off. She had been hurt too much before to have it happen again. Wufei knew to treat her right. This guy was just slimy.

The next four days passed much the same, minus the shopping. They went running through the nearby park a few times, but otherwise they spent the time not with the gang talking in her apartment. He filled her in on what they had been doing and she did the same.

It wasn't until the morning of the auction that he managed to ask about her back and Control. He had noticed the lack of metal at the back of her neck yesterday when she was finishing her hair, but they had to leave for the club before he could decide how to ask.

"Solaris, where is Control?"

"What?" Solaris jumped from where she was sorting the things she actually wanted to keep. She couldn't really pack until the arrest was over—if something went wrong, she could continue if her cover was safe, but she didn't want it to take long. Not that there was much here that she wanted. "Oh…Doc K took it out and rebuilt it to repair the break in my spine." Solaris turned around and lifted her shirt. "See?"

A black spine of metal covered seven inches up her back.

"The Doc merged it into my real one. It is embedded a lot deeper into my system then Control was. It would kill me to remove it now, not that removing Control was much safer. That took longer than repairing my spine, really. He couldn't do it all at once or it would have fried my brain. I had to be weaned off Control's help, too. The mood swings were bad. I just about killed him several times because I couldn't recognize him. Other times he had to force me to eat because I swung into a completely passive mode."

Heero reached out and stroked the slightly cool metal. It looked like a part of her spine protruding up out of her skin. Yet what it was and what it did made it beautiful rather than creepy. Under her skin, he saw outlines of vein-like wires connecting the two parts of her spinal cord together.

"Becoming free of Control took longer than learning to walk again." Solaris dropped the hem of her shirt and sat on the bed. "It is still hard to stay balanced sometimes, but I have pills if it gets to be more than I can handle. I don't like them, though. They make me tired."

His Soldier instincts didn't even try to stop him as he embraced what Duo dubbed his brother instincts and gathered his sister into his arms. He wished she had let them come with and help her. He could understand why she hadn't; he probably would have done the same. They had been trained to not need any help, and it was hard to ask for it even now.

Especially when he thought he could spare his family any new pains.

**TBC**

That seemed like a sweet enough stopping point! ^-^ No giant cliffhangers for once! LOL. Up next, the auction! And Kane's hopeful arrest…maybe...


	5. Chapter 5

Hi, peeps! I've been playing _Assassin's Creed 2_ rather than writing. If you are really lucky, I will finish this before I get my mitts on _Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood_. ;) (Two weeks later) **Or not**…_Brotherhood_ and _Too Human_ (which has a very rude ending by the way...) Have been fully played. To any gamers, though, play the newer _Assassin's Creeds_—they rock!

Okay, one, I'm just winging the medical stuff as usual, so deal; and for the sake of the story, I'm going to say they all are 19/20 years old. I'm not sure that fits the proper timeline, but there you have it.

**HHHH**

Over the last three days before the auction Heero had watched Solaris play Akira with a scary degree of mastery. He only found his sister underneath the persona when she let him—at night, in the relative safety of the apartment, she allowed him to see the toll it took on her spirit to coldly play the role.

"It is almost over," he said, offering assurance as he watched her shakily braid razor wire into her hair.

"I hope so," she said wearily. "I'm so tired. Tired of being bitchy and unfeeling, tired of being up at all hours with people whom I cannot trust. They would just as soon slash my throat as grope me, but never know or care for me."

"It will be done tonight. We will not fail. Your mission will be completed and those children protected and loved. You aren't alone in this anymore. Let us take some of the weight now," Heero commanded determinedly. "Tomorrow, you will wake up at home with us." _And I'm going to have words with Lady Un for doing this to her._

Solaris heaved a deep breath, bowing her head and gathering strength from his words. "Okay."

Tying the last tip of her braid off, she stood and slipped two combat knives into her knee-high, gray boots and a gun into a shoulder holster before shrugging a silk jacket on to cover it. Bloody, blue roses threaded their way up her leather-clad leg and coiled over her hip. Her shirt was the same shade as the roses. Neither the outfit nor the gun would raise eyebrows from tonight's company. She always dressed differently, and a single gun was less than most of what Kane's men carried.

Solaris hesitated over the muters for her hearing. She didn't wear them often. Basic city noises weren't generally enough to hurt her ears. But this was the arrest, and she knew Kane and his men weren't likely to go out without some fight. Better to wear them, she finally decided. She didn't relish the idea of ringing in her ears for days on end if she didn't. It had happened before almost drove her insane.

Heero carried three guns: two in a shoulder holster and one strapped to his thigh. The past few days he had spent carefully constructing a protective, paranoid brother figure when it came to Akira, so the overkill would be ignored. A dressy overcoat would conceal them from any guests who saw him. Solaris had bullied him out of the combat clothes he wanted to wear. It was a high-class, illegal auction; apparently, one had to dress nicely for it.

It was still early.

"Damn." Solaris dropped onto the couch. "I hate waiting like this."

Heero could only agree, though it was strange to see her so worked up. He supposed it was the build up of stress from the past two years. "Soon," he said.

"I know. Not soon enough."

Heero eyed her warily as a dangerous smirk spread across her face.

"Have I ever told how much I hate this place?" She danced into the kitchen and emptied out the utensil drawers. "Lets see. One, two three, four... ten! I didn't know I had this many cooking knives. Since I don't plan on using them again... How long do you think it will take the cleaners to notice if I stick them in the ceiling?"

He couldn't help it, he snickered. Duo was a bad influence. "A while. Most people don't look up much."

"True. Here you want some?" 

Finally, the clock showed it was time to leave.

Solaris picked up a single labeled box and they left the knife-studded apartment.

"You have everything you wanted to keep?" Heero asked, holding the door to the stairs open.

"Yes, I will leave this at the desk and the staff will mail it tomorrow. Nothing else here is worth looking at again, and I will die happy if I never see it again. I have some stuff in a storage locker that I will retrieve when I am sure this is finished. I left them there before I started the mission."

"Good." Heero was glad she had more than one box of stuff that she cared about. During the war, they had carried little with them except weapons, but they each had a few things. Before the final attack by the Oz rebels, they had begun to relax and make a tentative home gathering things here and there that interested them. He couldn't wait to give her the stuff they had salvaged from the rubble.

Solaris deposited the box with instructions to mail it ASAP at the front desk, and they climbed the exit stairs to level three of the parking garage to find their bikes.

It wasn't late enough in the evening for the city streets to be quiet, but they made good time in driving to the old theater house. The slave auction was to take place right in the middle of the city amidst dozens of oblivious people walking by. Expensive cars like Lamborghinis and Cobras. filled the small parking area.

"It's like some freaking party or show," Heero said, disgusted.

"It is to them, only they are planning to take the actors home with them. High society at its lowest," Solaris said. "Come on, we go in this way." She guided him to the left side of the building.

"Trowa is here already." Heero said.

"Really? Where?" Solaris glanced around at the upscale crowd discreetly, anxious for a glimpse of her tallest brother.

"He just went in the front door."

"Oh. Good, he got in with no problem, then." Solaris shoved the disappointment of missing him away; she could see them all after this was finished. She led Heero to a side door that took them into a room where several burly men stood guns clearly sitting on their hips.

"Evening boys, our paychecks should be good this week." Solaris said coolly and stepped around the guarding men to the stairs leading directly to the upper levels of the theater.

Heero tucked Solaris's arm in his as they walked across the balcony above the lobby. Solaris couldn't resisted peeking over the edge, looking again for Trowa.

The very thought of more of her family being here made her happy in a strange way.

"Hn, Duo and his men should already be in the air ducts," Heero said.

"I have no doubt that he is. I think he spends more time in the ceilings then walking on floors." Solaris easily imagined her brother sitting right above them making faces down at the oblivious people. He had to pass the time up there somehow.

Heero snickered. "True."

An old, velvet rope and four more imposing guards blocked their way into Kane's balcony seat overlooking the stage. One man daringly sneered at Heero. Heero stared right back, making the guard flinch away.

Concealing a smirk, Solaris stalked through the curtain door and into the booth with Heero at her back.

"Good evening, sir. It seems everything is moving smoothly," she greeted the crime lord.

Kane stood and steered Solaris to a theater seat beside his. "Ah yes, dear, there were a few Preventers snooping around earlier, but we've lured them off with a few distractions. I foresee only profits for us tonight."

"Very good, sir." Solaris waved Heero to sit beside her, glaring at one of Kane's henchmen when he moved to protest the taking of his seat. Disrespect twice in as many minutes; perhaps she should've hit a few more people recently.

Now, all they could do was wait—wait for the obvious evidence of people buying and selling children. Solaris was supremely conscious of the data recorder she was wearing as a choker. It was a new design, freshly delivered to her yesterday. The knowledge of what it was itched at her even though there was no way Kane could possibly recognize it. The data from tonight would be one final nail in his coffin.

It made her physically ill to watch more and more people file into the theater rows below. A few—a very small few—were perhaps here trying to avoid the great trials and pains of the adoption process in order to have a child to raise and care for, but most were here for young, moldable slaves for many atrocities.

A few of the guests she recognized from meetings with Kane. They were not nice people and bought new children every month. She had yet to figure out the sad fate of their past purchases. They were marked. They would be judged.

Solaris watched the people trickling in with a sense of forced antipathy. It was not the first time she had seen this. After several minutes of discreet searching, she located Trowa's chocolate hair. She knew that the two people accompanying him were Preventers since she had given them the invitations

Getting to know them as coworkers would be nice.

After an age of watching people seat themselves and enduring smalltalk of rehashed poker games, the announcer's presence on stage filled Solaris with disgusted relief. Kane gestured sharply for his people to shut up and pay attention.

The announcer stepped up to the microphone. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to our exclusive auction. Soon you could become owners of one of the most valuable and resourcful commodities available. All items have been handpicked for trainability and beauty. Up first we have a young boy, five years in age..." A meek, trembling child was led onto the center of the stage.

Practice kept her fingers relaxed and loose in her lap. It was to soon to slip now. Quatre and Wufei needed time to get their men in place. Roadblocks were being set up with Preventer teams surrounding the building.

The boy sold for $220,000. Kane laughed with dark glee. "Ah, my dear, tonight we make the money of kings!" The bidding continued, each child selling for increasingly exorbitant amounts of money.

A slightly older girl seven, eight years of age clenched her fists defiantly as she was shoved out from behind the curtain. The brunet child scurried around the guard and ran backstage. He caught her and she kicked him in the balls, biting his hand simultaneously. Swearing the man grabbed the girl's wrists together in a meaty hand, and almost carrying her by them, forced the her to stand on tiptoe in center stage.

The auctioneer took the disobedience in stride. "Ah, here we offer a feisty one, perfect for those who want a bit of spirit to tame. This one is in perfect condition. Not an once of fat or scarring on her. We'll start the biding at $50,000."

Numbered fans shot up for bids. "And we have $55, 60, Do I see 65. $70? 75?" Solaris eyed those who bid marking them in her mind to tell Lady Un to do a double run them.

"Sold at $83,000"

Heero held himself subtly tensed beside her. Solaris' first auction had been the worst, so she knew what he was going through now. The selling of children shattered an untouched part of their faith in humanity. Even with the horrors of their lives before and during the war, this auction carried a depravity previously unthinkable.

The minutes creeped achingly by, counted with her own furious heartbeats. Today time crawled. She ticked her metal, catlike claws on the wooden armrests. Waiting was annoying. She wanted this done; done now.

The lights went black dropping the theater into near pitch darkness. Shrieks and gasps echoed from the audience. The backup generaters kicked in, lighting the main aisles and exits with rope lights along the floor.

The doors slammed open and Preventers in full bodyarmor flooded in gun-mounted flashlights creating bright breams cutting into the shadows.

"Preventers! Stay seated! You are all under arrest for participation in child trafficking! Stay seated until an officer comes to escort you into custody. Stay where you are. Any movement will be taken as an attempt to flee and due force will be used."

That didn't stop Kane's men from running. The few around the stage rushed for the side and back exits. People dressed in light combat gear dropped down ropes from the vents above the stage and some of the exits. One figure landed on one of the fleers, handcuffing him withing seconds and darting after another. He dropped his target with a well placed kick to the knee and restrained him. Solaris stiffled a betraying smile at the dim sight of a braid snaking behind the Preventer. Duo was in the house.

Kane stood up a cold aura practically pouring off his tall frame. "It seems we best take our leave," he snarled. "Later we will found out who betrayed us and they will forfeit their lives."

Solaris reached over and tapped Heero's hand in question; carefull not to prick him with her claws.

'_Wait_' was all she got back before being ushered into the hallway by Kane's guards. She assumed Heero wanted to wait until they had some backup around them. It made sense. They could take all ten of Kane's people out if nessessary, yet there would be casualties. She wanted all of them to suffer in prison. Death was far too easy an escape.

Kane strode quickly down the dimly lit hall. "We will take the back stairs." He pressed a panel on the wall, and the one next to it creaked ajar. Solaris knew from setting up the auction and gathering info for her boys, that actors once used the passage to make their dramatic appearances and parades up to the main stage through the audience.

The fleeing group came out of the stairwell in a shadowed corner of the backstage room. Dozens of terrified kids huddled together in the middle under a flickering chandelier. Their guards must have run when the Preventers busted in the doors. Solaris' heart tore at the tears on their small faces. All she wanted to do was gather them all up in her arms and comfort them.

Twin, cherubic faces flashed through her memory. Even with holding them only once the twins were never forgotten. It was in their names that she had stuck through this mission so fiercely. No child should have to face this.

"What about the brats?" A bodyguard tossed his head toward the children.

Even as the man asked, Solaris could hear shouted orders and stomping boots coming toward them, the sounds of brawling mixed in. The Preventers were herding Kane's fleeing men right back into them.

"Slow them down!" Kane ordered viciously. He ran for an almost unnoticeable door beyond the huddle of kids.

Solaris lost sight of him for a few seconds as criminals and Preventers swarmed into the room shouting and fighting. Semi-automatic gunshots cracked the air, making Solaris very glad she wore her muters. The children screamed.

She sensed Heero being forced away from her by the mass of people. She didn't wait for him. Running past the terrified kids, Solaris took the narrow steps with a feline-like abandon. Kane Cordelone would not escape.

The pitchblack basement smelled stale and musty. Solaris was forced to slow down and feel her way. At the bottom of the stairs she found a light switch and flicked it, getting one small bulb to light up in the middle of the large room. It was enough.

Kane wasn't here anymore.

The sound of running footsteps gave her direction. A square of black in the deep shadows in the far corner showed another door. Sprinting through the room, Solaris leapt over random boxes, not slowing down for any obsticale.

A steep, narrow staircase led down into the darkness. Solaris tried to remember them being on the blueprints, but was sure they hadn't been. A whimpering cry echoed to her ears. Kane had grabbed a child. Fury darkened her vision.

The walls and floor changed into dirty cement as she descended. They had to be in an old sewer system. Power still ran though some of the red tunnel lights, creating small circles of bloody light. In those areas, she could see Kane's footprints.

Unfortunately, Kane liked to run three miles every morning. She knew because she had run with him many times. She also knew; she was faster.

Solaris stopped after about a mile. The tunnel branched off in three different directions. She looked in vain for footprints, for the nearest light bulb was fifty-feet behind her. The dirty floor was buried in impenetrable shadow. What she wouldn't give for a flashlight.

A cry of pain caught her attention, but she couldn't pinpoint the echo as it was too faint. Yanking her muters out, Solaris closed her eyes just listening.

There. To the far left. With her muters now out, she could even hear Kane's fleeing footsteps. She didn't bother putting the devices back into her ears, and instead shoved them into a pocket.

Another half mile sprint brought her to another split, this one shaped like a Y. She continued left without stopping. She was catching up.

"Sir! Mr. Cordelone! Wait up, please!" she yelled.

"Akira?" Kane's voice boomed back. 

"Yes, sir. Please slow down. I almost got lost down here." Solaris cringed over how pathetic that made her sound.

Far up ahead, she could see his silhouette in a circle of red light. He was waiting for her.

Stupid, stupid man. Sneering satisfaction filled her.

"Thank you, sir," she panted. "We need to reach a safe house. You do know where we are, right, sir?"

"Of course." Kane reached down and scooped up the little girl at his feet and tossed her up on his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. The girl whimpered.

Solaris glared daggers into the back of Kane's head. "Will the merchandise slow us down much, sir?"

"No. I like this one. We are going to the boat. We can regroup in a different city. Lay low for a bit."

"I see, sir. There's just one problem with that plan." Solaris drew her gun out of its holster.

"What's that, Akira?" Kane's questioned.

"Well, first, my name isn't Akira."

"_What?_" Kane started to turn to face her, pulling his own gun.

"Second, sir, you are under arrest, by authority of the Preventers, for criminal activities and child trafficking."

Kane raised his gun, trying to bring it to bear. Solaris shot him in the knee, her silenced gun making a small popping noise. Kane yelling in pain, dropped the girl to the cement. He fired. Simultaneously, Solaris kicked out, the first blow knocking the gun out of his hand, and on the second spin, her foot rammed into his gut.

Pain blossoming in her head from the gunshot, she staggered. Her eyes watered with agony as a steady ringing in her ears made her nauseated.

Kane lunged at her, giving her no time to recover. Solaris kicked at him again and missed completely. Her vision swam; double, triple. Grabbing her arms he tossed her up against the cement wall. The impact reverberated in her head adding to the pain.

All Solaris wanted to do was curl into a tight ball and scream at the pain. This kind of disorientating pain unfelt ever before. Instead, she reached out and clawed down Kane's face with both hands before kneeing him in the gut. The crime lord crumpled to the floor almost instantly paralyzed from the drugs tipping her claws.

Digging out the zip ties hidden in her boot, Solaris stooped down to secure Kane's hands. The action nearly had her puking on her captive. Had Kane actually shot her in the head or something? She had thought his trajectory much lower. But, all the pain was in her head. She forced herself to finish the job. Not that Kane would be awake to fight anytime soon.

Turning away, Solaris looked for the girl. The little one sat against the wall, knees pulled up to her chest, tears staining her cheeks.

"Hey, there," Solaris said softly. Or tried to. She couldn't tell. Feeling her throat, she tried again. "Everything is okay, now." Her throat moved with the words, but she couldn't hear her own voice. The world still swayed with double vision.

Something wet and sticky coated the sides of her neck. Following the wet trail, Solaris cautiously touched her ears. No gaping wounds met her fingers. Just blood—from her ears. Kane's gunshot must have shattered something inside.

"Can you hear me, little one?" The girl peeked out above her knees. "Everything is going to be okay. I'm here to help you get home. The bad guys are all going to jail." Solaris hoped she could be heard or understood. Not being able to hear herself was very disconcerting.

The little girl looked at her. "Back to Mommy?"

Solaris thanked the heavens that she could read lips. "Yes, back to Mommy as fast as we can, but I need your help now, okay? What's your name, little one?"

"Mikesha."

"Mikesha, my name is Solaris. I need you to talk to my friends for me, okay? And tell me what they say." Pulling out her cell phone, Solaris prayed it would have a signal down here under all this freaking rock.

_Yes! _She hit the speed dial for Heero's number and put the phone on speaker.

"Tell me if he answers." They should have wrapped up the arrests upstairs by now. The fighters, at least, so Heero might answer his phone. "I need you to look right at me when you speak because I can't hear anything right now."

The girl nodded nervously.

Solaris braced herself against the wall and slid down carefully. Her stomach rolled angrily as the world swam around her.

The girl poked her arm and mouthed, _"Message machine."_

"Hang up, and then push two and the talk button. Is it ringing again?"

Mikesha nodded once more. Her face lit up in a smile. Solaris watched her talk into the phone. "_Hello. Please, you have to help us, sir. Uh-uh, she's here. I can't, sir, she can't hear you."_

"Heero," Solaris broke in, "I think my eardrums have burst. I am reading the girl's lips, so be nice and listen up. In the basement is an unmapped door to the old sewer lines. There are two splits; go left for both of them. We are probably about two and a half miles out. Did you get all that? I can't even hear myself talk."

"_Yes_." The girl held up a hand and listened to Heero. Solaris closed her eyes against the dizziness.

A hand touched her arm getting her attention._ "He says that they are on their way and that a man, Wufei, is going to talk now."_

"Okay."

Mikesha looked alarmed suddenly.

"What is it?" Solaris asked.

She covered the phone's speaker with small hand. "_Mr_. _Wufei isn't saying very nice things. Are you sure he a good guy, too?"_

"One of the best. Take your hand off," Solaris said. "Wufei, enough. You are yelling at a very brave little girl, and I have no clue what you just said to me because I can't hear you, so shut up and be polite."

**WWWW**

Wufei choked on his last curse. "Sorry. Solaris, what is going on? Heero just handed me the phone and said to talk and ran off like there was a fire under his butt. We are in the basement, I think."

"Sir? She can't hear you. Something is wrong with her ears. I think it is making her sick. There's blood on her neck, and she's kinda green."

_Oh, right. Solaris had just said the same thing, hadn't she. Dumb.  
_

Wufei waited impatiently for the medics Heero had rounded up to go ahead of him down the stairs. Duo had dashed down first with Heero. They had just handcuffed the last of the actual gangsters when Heero handed him the phone, leaving him in the dust to figure out what was going on.

"Fei?" Solaris definitely didn't sound very good either. "Hurts." He had to strain to hear his teammate. "Can I come home now? Please?"

"Of course. We are on our way. It's all over now. Hang on."

"Mr. Wufei? She just went to sleep. I'm scared! It's really dark down here." A sob clenched at his heart.

Wufei bit back any new curses. "It's okay, little one, we are almost there. You should see our lights soon. I'm right here. I won't hang up until we get there. I promise"

_TBC_

_There's one more chpt and we are all done! ^-^ Thanks for waiting so patiently! I will have you know I spent all day typing this and the next chpt out for you on my day off. TEN pages. That usually takes me like two weeks of semi-dedicated writing. _


	6. Chapter 6

**DDDDD**

Duo flashed ahead of Heero. He always had been the fastest of them all, and he put that to good use. Left and left, Heero had said. The first split and the second were taken full speed. The flashlight in his hand bounced a beam of light across the wall and three small figures ahead. As he got closer he could see that one was Kane lying limply, trussed up on the floor. Solaris leaned up against the wall, and a little girl sat in front of her with a phone cradled in her hands like a lifeline.

"Sis!"

The girl started violently.

"Hi there, kiddo. I'm here to help," Duo said automatically, his full attention on his wounded sister. He searched for the pulse in her neck. It beat strong against his fingers. He sighed with a bit of relief.

"Will she be okay?" the girl asked, worried.

"Of course! She always is. Solaris is not that easy to beat."

"Good."

Heero caught up. "How is she?"

"I think it's just her ears. Something is really wrong with them." Duo wrapped an arm around his sister to pull her close. Wetness on her side made his heart clench. "Maybe not." He quickly rolled up her shirt. Blood coated her right side. A furrow four inches long ran over her ribs.

"It's a deep graze. Just needs stitches. A lot of them."

The medics and Wufei arrived. One went to tend to Kane's shattered knee and get him on a stretcher.

"Sir, we only brought one stretcher down. Do you want us to go back and get another?"

Heero shook his head. "I will carry Solaris. Get gauze on her side first. She needs a hospital."

"Quatre's going to flip when he realizes we didn't tell him what was going on and just left. So's Trowa, for that matter." Duo muttered.

Wufei pulled his worried attention away from Solaris, trusting his brothers to help her, and knelt in front of the little girl. "Hey there, Mikesha. Are you hurt at all?"

"My arm hurts a little from where I fell, but it's okay. Can we leave now?" Tears left dirty streaks down the girl's pale cheeks.

"Yes, we can leave now. Would you like me to carry you?"

She thought about it for a moment, still curled in a scared ball, before nodding and lifting her arms. Wufei picked her up tucking her on a hip.

"How old are you?" he asked trying to keep her distracted.

"Five."

Inwardly, he raged at the injustice, outwardly he smiled and began walking back out of the tunnels. "Five is a good age. You did very well."

Wufei carried Mikesha all the way upstairs and gave her over to the Preventer team in charge of taking care of the other children. "These guys are my friends. They will help you find your family, okay?"

"What about Solaris?" the girl asked desperately. "I want her to be okay! She saved me."

Wufei thought for a minute. "Tell you what, you keep her phone for right now, and then when she's all better, she can come and get it back."

"Okay."

"Good girl." he tucked a stray strand of blond hair behind her ear.

Duo claimed the single spot in the ambulance with Solaris before the others could even think about it. "Call Sally and have her meet us there! She's the only doc who's worked on Solaris before. The other's haven't read her charts yet!"

As they were senior, leading officers, it was a couple of hours before they could all leave the scene with the others. Duo was still pacing the waiting room when they entered.

"Do we know anything yet?" Quatre asked first, rubbing at his chest from the shared stress.

"Nothing was life threatening. It's just whether or not they can save her hearing." Duo informed, jitterly bouncing around.

About twenty minutes later, Sally wearily joined them and sat down. "We did the best we could to put her eardrums back together. Only time will tell if it worked. She will have to remain fairly still during recovery, or she will get dizzy and ill again as her ears try and fail to adjust with her balance."

**SSSS**

Solaris woke to almost complete silence; only hearing her own heartbeat. Heaviness weighed down her head. Turning to look around took much longer then it should have. She surmised there were a lot of drugs in her system. They were the only things that could make her feel so sluggish. A concussion didn't normally have this much affect, and she'd had plenty enough to know.

Solaris noticed someone sitting in the chair beside her. "Hey," she said, or tried to.

It got Trowa's immediate attention anyway. "Hi, how are you feeling?" he spoke slowly, giving her time to read his lips.

"Drugged."

"You are. Now that you are awake, Sally will take you off of some of them, so you'll feel clearer soon."

"My hearing?"

"We don't know. They have your ears covered so that the damaged drums don't vibrate and undo everything they've done."

"Sis!" Duo's beaming face popped into view before he hugged her for all he was worth. She managed to bring up the arm he wasn't pinning and hug him back.

As soon as Duo moved away, Quatre was right there to claim one, too. "Hey, missed you. I'm glad you are back."

"Missed you too, Quat." Quatre grinned and stepped aside to let Heero in.

Heero leaned over, making sure she could read him. "Mission complete. Stand down. You're home."

Something she hadn't realized was tense and waiting inside relaxed abruptly. "Roger that," she said.

Heero hugged her and offered her a sip of water. Trowa elbowed him out of the way when she was done drinking and embraced her as well. When he stepped away as well, she realized Wufei hadn't stood within her line of sight, and then there he was. She cringed inwardly, remembering their last meeting; the bruise was barely gone.

"Solaris," Wufei said somberly, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have hit you. Not like that. For those reasons. I was... upset, but not unhappy to see you. I am truly pleased you are home."

Solaris almost laughed. It was stupid, but that contrite look just didn't fit him. And she had a feeling the drugs were making her loopy. But he truly was sorry, she could tell, and so she barely stifled the humor from bubbling forth.

"How about we just both forgive each other and you come here and give me a hug too, you baka."

Wufei smiled softly and bent over the bed and pulled her close. Tears pricked at her eyes. Yes, the drugs had to be spacing her out. She hid her face in his shoulder and clung as tight as she could until the urge to cry eased off. When she let him up, he brushed the sole escaped tear off with his thumb before the others could see it.

"I'm happy you are home."

"It's good to be here."

**Epilogue**

**Four months later: **

The stadium was packed with waiting fans. None of the racers in the pits paid them the least bit of attention. That was reserved for the final touches on their motorcycles.

One little girl and her mother sat with the waiting pit crew, watching as all six of the racers on this team tinkered with their bikes. Solaris had the whole front of hers blocked up and lay underneath it, checking that nothing had been damaged during its storage and transfer.

It had taken a week for her to be able to sit up without wanting to vomit, and a further two months before she could walk straight. It took three months for Cordelone's trial to be pushed through to court and subsequently sentenced to life imprisioned without appeal. Another month passed away before she could convince her boys, particularly Duo, that she could actually do something like racing again.

"Hey, sis, I thought your racing bike was white?" Duo asked, confused.

"Where did you get that idea?" she wondered from beneath her dark purple motorcycle edged with pale green. A silver tiger prowled over the tank.

"Well, you won the First World Free Race, didn't you?"

"Umm, no, I came in eighth. I didn't want you to actually notice me yet. I just wanted to see you; even from a distance. Darkpeace won. Her bike is white. I race as Phantom. " 

"But she's not a Gundam pilot!" Duo whined.

"So?"

"She totally broke our winning streak! If it had been you it would still be whole and untouchable!" Duo cried, waving his arms in the air in exasperation.

"Sorry," Solaris shrugged, uncaring.

"So who is Darkpeace, then? Why does she hide?" Wufei asked.

"When I asked, she said her family wouldn't approve of her racing career, so she was hiding until she could stand completely on her own two feet and it wouldn't matter what they did."

"Wait, that means she's just a kid, too!" Duo yelled.

"Hmhm, seventeen."

"D—arn it!" Duo caught himself just in time with a sheepish glance towards Mikesha and her mother.

Solaris snickering, slid out from under her bike. "She's just that good, brother love." She lifted the motorcycle by the handlebars and rolled it backwards off of the blocks. Leaning close to Duo on her way by, she whispered, "But guess what? I'm better. And now, I'm not trying to hide from you boys."

Heero laughed, "The look on your face, Duo."

Solaris deemed her bike race-ready and went to wash her hands and suit up. Wufei was sitting on a bench, already half-dressed with only his jacket and helmet left to put on. On her way to the sink, he reached out and snagged her around the hips.

"Hey, there," he said softly.

"Hmm…hi." Solaris smiled and leaned down to kiss him, threading her fingers through his yet unbound hair.

"Are you sure you are ready to do this?" he asked one last time.

"More than," she answered, touched by the careful concern.

"Okay, " Wufei said, trusting her and letting her go.

"I'm going to kick your butts too!" Solaris proclaimed and prowled away to get ready to do just that.

**THE END**

For now, anyway...I have no plans to work on more fanfiction in the near future, but that doesn't mean I won't. LOL

I hoped you enjoyed, and for those of you who have stuck with me all the way, thank you! ^-^ And for all the newcomers, HI, and thanks for reading to the end too!

I'm off to finish writing my own characters and their story.

This has been a blast. Bye for now!

_Knyghtshade Wolf_


End file.
